National Defence University Dept of IR

Advanced Course on Research Methodology IR-635 (4 credits)

MPhil 1st Semester (Autumn 2012)
Instructor: Dr Nazya Fiaz
Email: nazyafiaz@hotmail.com
Class Timings: Monday 3-7pm
Aims of the Course
The course consists of three distinct yet interrelated areas of Research Methodology. In the
first instance, the course aims to provide participants with an understanding of how
philosophies and frameworks of knowledge affect social research in its entirety; from the
formulation of hypothesis, through to choice of methods and the final conclusions. Secondly
the course will introduce participants to the practicalities involved in designing a research
project and selected methods of data collection and analysis. Lastly, the course seeks to
develop skills in relation to the structuring and writing up of social research. At the end of the
course participants will have developed a broad understanding of the status of knowledge in
the social sciences as well as an understanding how they can employ various strategies to
conduct and write up research.
Assessment
1. All participants are required to write one research paper (between 3-5000 word
length) in which they address the following: their philosophical orientation towards
knowledge production; hypothesis/ RQs; brief literature review of the subject-matter;
justification/originality of research; proposed methodology; bibliography. Papers must
be fully referenced. It is the responsibility of all participants to ensure that the
research topic is approved by the course instructor. Please note: Research paper
MUST be submitted in hard-copy format to the course instructor (no emails
please) by week 8 (22nd October 2012). Late submissions will not be entertained.
Marks allocation: 35
2. All participants must also present in class their research paper during weeks 8 -9 (24th
or 31st October). Marks allocation: 15
3. Overall class participation: Marks allocated: 10
4. Terminal Examination: 90
Attendance
You are expected to attend all lecture classes. Due to the nature of the subject-matter, missing
lectures and/or failure to participate in class discussion is detrimental to the learning process,
and ultimately affects your performance in the course.
Class Policies
1

Before attending the class please ensure that you have read any assigned reading
material.
Please respect the ideas and opinions of others.
Please note that chatting during lectures is disruptive and disrespectful, both for the
instructor and your colleagues.
Cell phones must be switched off during class.
Research papers must be submitted by 24th October.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Course Contents
Philosophy
Class 1: Introduction and preliminaries; What is research?
Class 2: Philosophy of the social sciences: Ontology, Epistemology, and Methodology;
Evolution of positivism.

Class 3: Post-positivist philosophies of science.

Methods and Analysis

Class 4: Planning a research project; Research questions and hypothesis formulation;

Research designs.

Class 5: Research designs (cont); The nature of quantitative research.

Class 6: Quantitative data analysis: Structured interviews and quantitative questionnaires;

Content analysis; Coding; Observation

Class 7: The nature of qualitative research; Qualitative interviews; Focus groups; Participant
observation/ethnography.

Class 8: Student led presentations (Last week for submission of Research papers)

Class 9: Student led presentations

Class 10: Grounded Theory

Class 11: Primary versus Secondary data analysis

Class 12: triangulation/validity/reliability; Ethical Issues.

Writing up social research

Class 13 -14: Writing up social research.

Class 15: Linking it all up: the philosophy of the social sciences - methodology - IR
theoretical frameworks.

Class 16: Course recap before Terminal Exam

Suggested Readings
Blaikie, N. W. (1993) Approaches to Social Enquiry. Cambridge: Polity Press.
Bohman, J. (1991) New Philosophy of Social Sciences: Problems of Indeterminacy. Oxford:
Polity Press.
Creswell, J. W. (1994) Research Design: Qualitative & Quantitative Approaches. Thousand
Oaks, London: Sage Publications.
Crotty, M. (1998) The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the
Research Process. London: Sage.
Fay, B. (1996) Contemporary Philosophy of Social Science: A Multicultural
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Approach. Oxford: Blackwell.

Frankfort-Nachmias, C. and Nachmias, D. (1996) Research Methods in the Social Sciences.
London: Arnold.
Hammersley, M. (1995) The Politics of Social Research. London: Sage Publications.
Hughes, J. and Sharrock W. (1996) The Philosophy of Social Research (rev. ed.). London:
Longman.
Miles, M. B. and Huberman, A. M. (1994) Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded
Sourcebook (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks; London: Sage Publications.